Postcrossing Blog

www.postcrossing.com · 2026-10-01 · by Long Nguyen ·generic
Postcrossing Blog: World Postcard Day is here, and we’re celebrating this wonderfully inefficient little invention the best way we know how: by sending postcards. Join the fun today by writing at least one postcard to someone who isn’t expecting one!

Postcrossing Blog

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Blog \> It's World Postcard Daaaaaaaaaaaay!

posted by meiadeleite

Posted on 1 Oct, 2026

World Postcard Day graphic with World Postcard Day and 1/Oct on the left, beside a collage of postcards, mail, art cards and a kingfisher photo.

When you think about it, postcards are a terrible piece of technology. There’s no encryption, and no undo button. No read receipts. They’re fragile and can easily get lost or damaged (a bit of rain and you can’t even read them anymore)! They require you to find stamps and walk or drive to your nearest postbox in order to get them sent. And you don’t know when they’re going to be delivered: anything between 3 days and 3 months is possible!

And yet… somehow, 157 years later, millions of people still think they are just brilliant — us included! 😍 They’re surprising, colorful, thoughtful, carry a heartfelt message and cute stamps, and just make us want to hug the sender for thinking of us. October 1st is World Postcard Day — the day we celebrate this terribly brilliant invention!

By now, World Postcard Day is already underway in a lot of countries around the world. People are meeting up, libraries and museums are joining in, and plenty of postcards are being dropped in postboxes today. Some will travel across town, some across oceans, and some will probably take the scenic route to their destination… 🤪

serbian Postcrossing stamp

And there’s a little extra stamp-shaped celebration too: Pošta Srbije is releasing a Postcrossing/World Postcard Day-themed stamp today (yes, it’s a 2-in-1)! It features a classical Serbian mailbox… and in case you were wondering, they really look like a bearded grandpa!

The stamp, FDCs and special commemorative cancellation mark will be available in post offices and their online shop, from today onwards. Hurray! We’re very happy to see one new country enter the “Postcrossing stamp club” — and also to see World Postcard Day featured on a postage stamp!

Wherever you are celebrating, check out if there’s a meetup near you, and perhaps you’ll be part of one of those tables covered in postcards, pens and stamps. And if not, you can always join us in the Postcard Lounge and celebrate there with everyone else. World Postcard Day doesn’t really need to be complicated! Just a postcard, a stamp, a pen, and most importantly, your time and care.

I think that’s why postcards are still so beloved in this day and age of digital “instantaneousness” — because you know the person on the other side was thinking about you, and gave you a bit of their precious time. As Uncle Alex used to say, “If this isn’t nice, I don’t know what is”.

stamp shaped cookies

And last but not least, we have an extra challenge for you all today: send at least one postcard to someone who isn’t expecting one! Maybe someone you haven’t written to in a long time, or simply someone who would smile at finding your handwriting in their mailbox. It doesn’t need to be clever or beautifully composed — a small surprise is enough. Let us know in the comments who you’ll be writing to.

We hope you spend your day surrounded by happy mail, and indulge in some stamp-shaped deliciousness — like ravioli or stamp cookies! Here’s to slow mail and this wonderfully inefficient little invention! ❤️

Happy World Postcard Day, everyone!

tags: postcrossing-stamp, serbia, worldpostcardday

10 comments so far

InTheDoghouse, United States of America

It's midnight and I'm going to grab my five addresses right now!

InTheDoghouse on 1 Oct, 2026

mariefrahman, Indonesia

Happy World Postcard Day!

mariefrahman on 1 Oct, 2026

javiercamp, United States of America

Happy World Postcard Day!! PS I'd love to trade official WPD postcards from your local meetup!! I'll send you one from Arizona if you send me one!

javiercamp Postcrossing Supporter on 1 Oct, 2026

Saouri, Spain

Just here, writing my 5 ones!.

Saouri on 1 Oct, 2026

JokeY17, Netherlands

Happy WPD!

JokeY17 Postcrossing Supporter on 1 Oct, 2026

OkieSelena, United States of America

Its 2am and I am up getting my 5 names/addresses!! Happy World Postcard Day!! :)

OkieSelena Postcrossing Supporter on 1 Oct, 2026

Yuanping, China

Hurraaaay!!!!!!! :P

Yuanping on 1 Oct, 2026

reiselustig, Germany

When I walked to the mailbox a few minutes ago, to post the prepared swap postcards I passed a garbage truck. The three garbage men were standing, because one had an emergency call or something like that. the other one saw me and said: "All that mail for me?" We laughed. On the way back the truck was still standing there - I passed him my mobile to write down his address, so that I could send him his own personal postcard :-) I think that was very unexpected for him ;-)

Happy World postcard day - hopefully seeing you all in the lounge!

reiselustig Postcrossing Supporter on 1 Oct, 2026

WolfO, Germany

Happy WPD - I just have written my 5 ones!

WolfO Postcrossing Supporter on 1 Oct, 2026

NoahRaikkonen, China

just got two😭I should've save more slots Happy wpd anyway

NoahRaikkonen on 1 Oct, 2026

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